14 Jun 2022 | 09:21 PM UTC
Ecuador: Nationwide protests likely to continue through at least late June /update 1
Protests likely to continue across Ecuador into at least late June. Traffic disruptions, localized clashes possible.
Event
A series of nationwide demonstrations that began in Ecuador on June 13 will likely continue through late June and may escalate following the arrest of one of the leaders of the protest movement. A coalition of organizations, including the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Confederacion de Nacionalidades Indigenas del Ecuador, CONAIE), farmers' groups, and labor unions, launched the protest campaign to denounce the policies of President Guillermo Lasso, voicing concerns over various issues such as the cost of living, health policies, oil and mining activity, and the well-being of indigenous peoples. Activists affiliated with CONAIE have called for the action to become more radical following the June 14 arrest of the organization's president Leonidas Iza. Iza is currently being held in the town of Latacunga 85 km (53 miles) south of Quito; protest activity will likely increase near his incarceration location, as well as around courthouses and other government buildings in Quito and Guayaquil.
Protester roadblocks have been reported in several locations throughout the country, including along inter-city thoroughfares connecting Cusubamba and Cayambe, Guayllabamba and Calderon, and Tabacundo and Cajas. According to authorities, demonstrators disrupted traffic along 87 roads nationwide June 14, most of them in the provinces of Chimborazo and Imbabura.
Demonstrations are likely at various government buildings, public squares, universities, and sites associated with oil and mining industries. Authorities will almost certainly deploy increased security in the vicinity of any protests that may materialize. Transit disruptions are likely. Clashes between activists and police are possible, especially if protesters are overly disruptive or ignore police orders to disperse.
Advice
Avoid all protests as a precaution. Do not attempt to circumvent any roadblocks; wait for police to dismantle them before proceeding. Heed all instructions from authorities. Plan accordingly for localized transport and business disruptions.
